Our Knotted Web
by yhim817
Summary: "So many lies and tricks. This web is now a knotted mess." Katniss and President Snow played their game, but Katniss never realized how ahead in the game he was. She never realized Snow had his own game with Peeta as well. It was these two things that changed everything. AU.
1. Prologue

Summary: Katniss and President Snow played their game, but Katniss never realized exactly how many steps he was ahead of her. She never realized Snow had his own game with Peeta as well. It was these two things that changed everything. AU.

Rating: T for future chapters.

Disclaimer: Hunger Games and anything Suzanne Collins wrote does not belong to me. I'm just letting my creative juices flow through her characters.

A/N: So, who cares to join me on this crazy ride? I've only a faint idea of where it's going, but there are no guarantees that hearts will not be broken or that tears will not fall. I hope you think it'll be worth it though. So...who's up for it? Reviews would be great.

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**Prologue**

**Capitol. June 25, 4018.**

If you didn't know any better, you would think you were looking down on a field of flowers. Colorful petals swaying with the breeze, the aroma moving through the air and filling your nose. It's wonderful and a nice relief from all the surrounding buildings and lack of nature.

But there's always something that takes you out of the daydream. You remember that those colorful petals are wigs. That aroma is their perfume. There was no breeze either. It was just the people in the wigs moving around, jumping from one social circle to another.

"Papa, I can't hear!"

"Did you forget to charge it last night?" He asks slowly, signing the words with his hands as well.

She shakes her head, making her blonde braid swing back and forth. "Broken!" Her yelling and the annoyance in her tone catches the attention of people around us.

He kneels in front of her and checks the small device in her ear. "Did she really charge it?" He asks, looking up at me.

I shrug, not able to remember if she really did.

No one around us can tell, but I see it in his eyes. He's annoyed too. Maybe with the hearing aid, but most likely with my answer.

"Silly goose, it was off." He says as he fiddles with it and turns it back on. He smiles, smoothing down her hair. "Better?" He still signs with his hands, just in case.

She nods. "Thank you, Papa." She says in a much softer voice.

He gives her a kiss on her forehead before standing again. He leans next to me and places a kiss on my cheek. I don't move away from him, because I know the purpose behind the kiss. He has something to tell me.

"Please don't forget about the cameras."

I turn my face. Smiling, I give him a quick peck on the lips. "How could I?" I whisper back.

"There you two are! I knew that you had a special place of honor here, but I didn't think that it was so big! How are you doing?"

I rack my mind, trying to remember this woman's name, but my mind comes up blank. I believe we meet her at a party just a few weeks ago. It doesn't help that she has some new style that changes her appearance completely though. Blood red hair with black dots scattered in it. Her entire outfit and makeup matched the two colors. She almost reminds me of a playing card.

"We're doing just fine." He answers for the both of us. He wraps his arm around my waist and I have to remind myself to lean into him. "How are you doing?"

"Wonderful. They've finally started selling seafood again, which I've been dying for! Oh, but where's your little girl? She has a birthday in just a few weeks, doesn't she?"

"Yes, it's going to be her fifth birthday. But she's feeling a little shy." He motions towards his leg where said little girl has decided to hide behind.

The woman coos at her before looking at us again. "So when can we expect baby number two?"

My heart jumps at her blunt question. I don't want to give her an answer. And I don't. I'm saved by the music that starts playing. I feel my insides churning though. The cycle is continuing.

"Hello Panem! Welcome to the 80th Hunger Games!"


	2. Chapter 1

**A/N: So just a little thing before you start reading...pay attention to the dates. The dates are going to be a huge thing for this story. And don't forget to review afterwards :)**

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**_June 26, 4018_**

It's always the smell of cheese buns that wakes me up. This morning is no different. Peeta always makes me cheese buns, but today I'm especially grateful for them. Last night was...difficult...to say the least. The beginning of the Hunger Games always are.

It doesn't mean I can lie in bed all day. There's still things to be done. So I pull on a robe and make my way to the kitchen.

"So, Erryn, are you ready for your first day of school?" Peeta asks from his spot by the stove. He's making eggs. Probably to go with the cheese buns.

"I don't want to go. I want to go with you." Erryn pouts. She holds her head up with one hand and with the other begins picking at her ear.

"Stop that. You're going to get an infection." I say as I walk in a swat her hand from her ear.

She quickly places her hands in her lap. "Yes ma'am." she says quietly.

"Morning, Katniss." Peeta says with a poor attempt of a smile as he glances back at me.

I sit on the bar stool next to Erryn. My hands automatically go to her hair and I start combing it out with my fingers. It's a habit that started with Prim. It never left even though...I push those thoughts away. "Morning." I say in polite reply. "What's this I hear that you don't want to go to school?"

Erryn shrugs, blowing her blonde hair out of her eyes.

"You know that you can't go with Papa." I say as I start braiding her hair.

"I know," she mumbles.

"So why don't you want to go?" Peeta asks, placing two plates in front of us. He then grabs the pan and serves us some eggs with a slice of the cheese bun.

"Because...because..."

I notice her lower lip starting to tremble. "Be a big girl, Erryn. Don't cry."

"Why? You cried last night." she says with an edge of rebellion.

Not even five years old, but the back talking is already starting.

"Is that any way to talk to your mom?" Peeta intervenes before I can say anything.

"No..." Erryn replies, hanging her head a little.

"Now answer our question. Why don't you want to go to school?" Knowing Peeta, he isn't going to stop until he gets an answer from her.

I tie her braid and she starts poking her eggs with her fork. "Everyone's going to laugh at me."

"Why would you ever think that, sweetie?" Peeta asks. He always was the more gentle one.

"Because I can't hear! They're going to laugh and then I'm never going to hear again!" she drops her fork in an attempt to make a point.

"You tell me if anyone laughs at you and I will personally talk to them. I will make sure they never laugh at you again." I say.

Peeta gives me an exasperated look. He probably thinks I'm being ridiculous. He focuses back on Erryn. "No one is going to laugh at you. They won't even know. Besides, you charged your hearing aid last night. It's not going to go out, will it?"

Erryn shakes her head.

"Okay, so are we good?"

Erryn nods and starts eating her eggs.

I start eating as well, but notice Peeta isn't joining us. And he has a suit on and his hair is brushed to the side. The way he always has it for the cameras. The style I hate.

"Where are you going today?" I ask, keeping my tone neutral.

Peeta looks at me, glances at Erryn, then back to me. "Snow wants to see me today." He whispers at a volume Erryn's hearing aid can't pick up.

"Why?"

He purses his lips. I wonder if he's actually going to tell me this time, even if Erryn is right there. "You know I can't." He finally says.

The meetings Peeta constantly has with Snow...I hate them.

"Where are you going, Papa?" Erryn asks, realizing that she's missing a conversation.

"Just some meetings. You don't need to worry about them." he answers.

"Are you going to see Grandpa Snow?"

I blow off her calling Snow 'grandpa.' I've had about four years to get used to it. But there's still that little part inside of me that wants to completely break at hearing her call him that.

"Yeah, I'm going to see Mr. Snow." Peeta says, subtly correcting her.

"Tell him I say hi." She says, turning back to her breakfast.

He looks back at me to say goodbye. That hesitation is there in his eyes. It's always there when the cameras aren't around. Keep up the act for Erryn? Or make sure she understands our 'marriage'? If you could even call it that.

So instead of analyzing what he should do, he just reached over and gives my arm a squeeze."It's going to be okay." He says softly before leaving.

Once he's gone, I allow one thought to run in my mind. When are things ever going to be okay?

* * *

_**January 6, 4013**_

I'm tired of this party already. At least it's almost midnight. That means Effie will be coming to usher us onto the train and back to District 12. Once we're back at 12, there won't be cameras watching our every move. We can go back to what's left of our lives.

The chocolate flower I've been nibbling at is almost done when Effie finally makes an appearance. But she isn't smiling. Something happened. It must be horrible to take the smile from Effie's face.

"I really do apologize about this, but there's been a sudden change in our schedule." she says.

Wait, is that what the frown is about?

"What do you mean? I thought we were leaving at one?" Peeta asks.

"President Snow has just offered you both a skin treatment appointment at nine tomorrow morning." Effie said as she looked up at us. "I couldn't possibly say no to him, but this pushes us back by twelve hours at least." she looks back at her clipboard and starts making changes to the schedule again. Her frown wouldn't go away.

"Why twelve hours?" I ask.

"Oh, because this skin treatment is one where you have to be unconscious. Perfectly harmless, but it'll leave your skin feeling incredibly soft! If it wouldn't put us off schedule so much, I would make an appointment for myself."

"But why is he doing this?" I ask. Knowing Snow, there's nothing he does without ulterior motive. I can't imagine what he's trying to cover up with this 'skin treatment.'

"It's an engagement gift of course!" Effie exclaimed. She looked at me, possibly wondering what I was thinking.

Of course, I had kind of forgotten that I'm technically engaged to Peeta.

Peeta looks like he's about to start questioning some more, but Effie puts a halt to it. "We better get going so you two can get some rest before the appointment. And don't worry at all about how this is going to affect the schedule. We will still be able to have a nice celebration back in District 12!"

Effie proceeds to parade us around the banquet hall, making sure we say goodbye to all the important people. We then go into a car and slowly make it back to the penthouse. Effie mentions something about not brining everyone else with us so they can continue enjoying the banquet, but I barely hear her. I'm in awe of the throngs of people that are in the streets. All because of us. Their victors of the Hunger Games.

By the time we get to the penthouse, Peeta and I are dead tired and we go straight to bed. By habit, Peeta follows me to my room and we both manage to sleep with no dreams.

I feel like I had just closed my eyes when an Avox is waking me up though. By the way she keeps pointing to the clock on the wall, I assume I'm going to be late if I don't hurry up. Peeta's not in the room. He probably woke up before me.

When I walk out, Peeta's waiting for me at the dining table. He tosses me a muffin and stands. "Ready to go then?"

"We have to leave already?"

Peeta waves a piece of paper in front of me. "Yeah. Effie left this note explaining everything. Even gave us a schedule for the day. So if we don't want to be late and throw the whole thing off, we need to get going."

I take the paper as Peeta and I walk out. Effie had mentioned a car and it, of course, was there. We both got in, not really paying attention to the scenery outside. It was just tall buildings anyways. Nothing incredibly spectacular.

"Are you okay?" Peeta asks.

"Not really," I answer quietly.

"Hey, it's going to be fine." He grabs my hand and gives it a small squeeze. "It's just a skin treatment. We're pros at getting through make overs like this. We'll be fine."

It isn't just a skin treatment. Not when it involves Snow. But I don't say anything.

The car pulls up to a building and we're escorted inside. As soon as we step into the building. Peeta and I are separated. I hear Peeta start questioning what exactly is going to happen and why we can't be in the same room. He's shuffled into a room and the door closes before I can hear any other protests.

The nurse, at least I assume she's a nurse, has me strip and lay down on a table. I feel my cheeks turning pink. I'm a little more used to this with my prep team, but bring in someone new and I feel just as shy and awkward as the first time. She explains to me the procedure, except I don't understand a word from all the medical jargon she throws around.

While she's talking, she grabs a needle and fills it with a clear liquid. I flinched as she poked it into the crook of my elbow. She started saying something about counting backwards from one hundred, but everything started to feel fuzzy.

"One hundred, ninety-nine, ninety-eight…"

* * *

By the time I wake up, it's dark outside. I recognize the feeling of a moving train. I guess they didn't wait for us to wake up before taking us back to the train. I sit up, feeling oddly sore all over the place. I head into the dinning cart, but before I'm there I can hear Haymitch. He's arguing with Effie.

"I still don't understand why I wasn't notified about it! Don't you think I have a right to know?"

"You have absolutely no relation to either of them, so there really was no reason for you to be told." Effie answers back.

"I'm their mentor! Isn't that enough?!"

I walk in and notice that Cinna, Portia, and Peeta are there too.

"How're you feeling, Katniss." Cinna says, drawing the conversation to a different route.

All the attention is now on me. I grab a muffin from the table and start nibbling on it while I sit down. "I'm tired and I'm sore." I mutter

Effie clicks her tongue. "You shouldn't be feeling any kind of pain."

"Perhaps, she just had a different reaction." Portia said. "You do have to remember that she still isn't used to the kind of treatments they have in the Capitol."

"But I'm not sore and I'm not used to the treatments." Peeta throws in. He has that look on his face. The one where he's trying to figure out if we're not telling him part of the story.

"Don't worry about it. I'm fine." I say, not understanding why everyone is suddenly freaking out about it.

"Sure you are, sweetheart." Haymitch says. He then gets up, pours himself a drink, and leaves to his own room.

I hear Effie grumbling about how awful Haymitch can be. Portia and Cinna start talking about what they're going to dress us in for the banquet. Despite how occupied they seem in the conversation, I notice Cinna's gaze constantly turning towards me.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Peeta asks as he moves to sit next to me.

"Yeah, why wouldn't I be?"

"Something's bothering you. You look distracted."

I start playing with the paper the muffin was in. I avoid looking at him. I don't want him to think I don't trust him, but I just don't want to tell him all my thoughts right now.

"Whenever you're ready then." He finally says.

He leaves me on the couch and suddenly I feel awful. Maybe I should just tell him. All my interactions with Snow, my fear that he did something more than just a skin treatment to us. My mind starts racing with all the possibilities of what he could've done. What if he placed a tracker on us? What if he actually put some kind of poison in us that would keep us under his control? I wouldn't put either of those things past him.

"Katniss, you need to breathe. Take deep breaths."

I look up and notice Cinna's right next to me. When did he get here? Wasn't he talking with Portia a minute ago? But Portia's hovering over me too. She looks almost as worried as Cinna. That's when I realize I'm hyperventilating.

"Here, take deep breaths in this." Effie appears with a paper bag in her hands

I take it and do just as she said. Deep breaths. Just breathe. Deeply. Don't think about anything. Just breathe. Focus on that.

My breathing finally stabilizes. I look sheepishly at the three adults in front of me, trying to come up with some kind of explanation.

"What's going on in that head of yours?" Cinna asks instead, giving my temple a gentle tap.

"Nothing," I say as I shake my head. I get up before they can question me anymore and I lock myself in my room. I throw myself onto the bed and curl up. I just want to sleep and not think. Yes, I've practically been asleep for the whole day considering the treatment, but I don't care. I tired, sore, and I don't want to think. The only escape I can think of is to sleep. But even with sleeping, I still have my nightmares to deal with. They seem like the lesser of two evils right now though.


End file.
